The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-03
4 CORN SRUCKING.

New York Evening Post. 1t was
early autumn. The foliage OF the
distant woodlands had taken on all
the yarieg ted hues Of a summer rain
bow. The gum trees and naples
we're one solid sheet of rudy fame,
and the towering hickory trees were
covered with orange and gold. The
persimmon trees were loaded with
the sugary fruit, and the late summer
grapes hung in purple clusters on the
(lilapidated fence rails next TO the
swamp.
In the broad and elling fields the
opeu cotton shone like a great snow
bank, and in the corn only the slip
shucks' remained to show where the
lusty brown ears had hung. The
corn had been gathered and hauled
90 the great lot where the cribs stood
waiting for the harvest.
Day after day for a whole week the
loaded Wagons had been driven to
she lot, each depositing its load on
the somicircular pile, that had
grown higher and higher, until Char
ley Green, the driver, himself could
not see over the top of 1t. Then
came the night OF nights, the corn
shocking"
The hands on the plantations, far
and near, had assembled to join in
the work, that was more than halt
irolic. Blowing merry tunes on
their quilts, stopping every now and
then for a pat and dance in the
sandy road, they came singly, in pairs
and in crowds, singing snatches OF
wild plantation melodies, or "whoop-
ing" in that peculiar way Of theirs,
which was like tie rich tones OF q
bugle sounding far away. Rapidly
the crowd gathered; the dusky light
Of an October evening had settled
down into perfect night, a night
with never fleck of cloud to OBJ
scure the light of the faintest star
and no ooquettish moon to dim the
luster Of rival planets. Across the
fields hung shreds of silvery mist
and far away beyond the gently un.
dulating surface of the cotton fields
yose gaunt and grim the dark line Of
swamp that lay along the river. Ten
thousand dewdrops sparkled on the
grass, so that the face OF tho earth
seemed but a dim reflection of the
arch of the glowing heavens.
"Who gwine to be de leaderP"
"Chally, Let Chally be dc leader,
cried chorus of voices, and Char
ley, mounting the sloping semioircl
of corn, and seizing large car 10
bis baton, would begin:
Oh, dsy's one ting 'er po' man
Seldom evah de-
Frow out do ole CON
To put In de now
All 'roun dc con pile,
Hoe Jolly hOi
All 'roun' do CON pile,
Hoe jolly hol
This was the signal for beginning
and the dusky forms seated them
selves or knelt in a convenient atti
mde, and the cleaning ears fey
thick and fast through the air:
Oh! big Joe, little ice, you bettah go;
Jennie bake or hoe cake slow, too SLOW.
All 'roun' do COT pilo,
Hoe jolly no
All 'rJun' do con pile,
Hoo jolly hoI
And the entire crowd joined in tn
refrain that, bursting out upon tn
cool night air, was waited on tn
winds and echoed and re-eohoe
IRON the river swamp to the pin
covered ridges. The rustling of tn
husks aud the spirited patter OF tn
clean ears as they fell in the ope
space in front was like the soft triI
ping of fairy feet as an accompan
ment to the merry music, up an
down the leveled walk, keeping tim
with the music.
BY aud by there was short cess'
ton, and an old brown jug Wa
passed from mouth to mouth aroun
the circle 1t contained the 6el
spirit of the corn, and as each lust
laboror gulped his dram, he smacke
his lips, and, with Tank Q
boss, resumed his labers. Then Il
drum major struck up new tune:
Prom Sat'd'y night 'twsll Sunday,
Dc gals ID In my min,
But or Monday mo'nin' light am seen.
De wife man got me aGwino,
OF sit crlong down dc road,
o. git erlong down de road,
Come, sit o long Own do read,
My love,
Come, cit erlong down de read.
VILE lives In do country,
My gal lives in do tJwn;
Sometimes have a notion, love,
To iunp In dc river an drown,
o. ait eTlong down dc road,
Q git erlong down dc road,
Come, cit orong down de read,
My love,
Come, git erlOng down de road.
Higher and higher mounted Il
stars, and brighter glowed the frost,
silver band of the milky way, as
hung suspended midway the BIZ
black vault of the far away heaven
And still tho work, if one might ella
1t as work, went on. Charley chang,
his song, and after he had sung eaC
stanza, with the aid Of few voice
the crowd would join in the refrai
and it sounded as il one voice,
true was the harmony and natur
unison.
o Jay bird died wild de whcopin' cough,
81 arrer died wild d. collie;
Long come er frog wi fiddle on lis bat
'Qairin ue way 10 do folio.
Then came the refrain
%, can't II erlong wild or hog eye,
Cant ct erloi wild or hog eye,
Can't git erlong vid or hog eye GAL
An l can't 81, erloug wild or hog eye.
Gated Miss sue to Dc ball las night,
Sot 'er down TO supp